Chicago Robberies -- Quick Armed Robberies & Car Jackings of Those on the Street

 

For months groups of armed suspects have been jumping out of cars and robbing people in Chicago – and now, surrounding suburbs are experiencing the same crimes.  In Oak Park, police issued an alert this week about a rash of armed robberies and carjackings that happened early Sunday morning.  Police in Oak Park are calling the string of carjackings and armed robberies a trend – as are Chicago Police.

In a span of about three hours – between about 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday – the quiet suburb of Oak Park was awakened by a rash of armed robberies and carjackings, and an assault. There were six incidents in all:

• At 2:50 a.m. Sunday, four armed men exited a dark blue sedan in the 6000 block of West North Avenue and stole a woman's purse containing two cellphones, and a wallet containing $500, credit cards, and identification. The woman's purse and its contents were later found in the 800 block of Fair Oaks Avenue.
• Between 2:55 and 3 a.m. Sunday, four to five people exited a dark-colored sedan with guns. A Villa Park resident was struck with the gun and their keys and credits cards were stolen.
• At 3:03 a.m. Sunday, four to five men in a dark blue sedan cut off a Wisconsin resident driving a gray Ford Fusion. The victim stopped and the men came up at gunpoint. The driver and the passenger of the Ford Fusion – a Glendale Heights resident – got out, and the driver was struck by are robber with a gun. The carjackers took the Ford Fusion, which was later recovered. 
• At 5:25 a.m. Sunday, a man exited a white BMW in the 200 block of Home Avenue with a rifle and asked an Oak Park resident to come over to him. The victim fled on foot, and the vehicle was last seen southbound on Home Avenue.
• At 5:49 a.m. Sunday, three men in a white BMW came up to two Chicago residents who were sitting in their vehicles while delivering newspapers in the 700 block of North Kenilworth Avenue. They demanded the victims' property – including a wallet and cellphone – and fled east in the BMW on Thomas Street. The BMW had been carjacked in Chicago, and was found at 8 a.m. at Latrobe Avenue and Thomas Street in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood.
• At 5:58 a.m. Sunday, two men got out of a white BMW and approached someone delivering newspapers in the 600 block of North Elmwood Avenue. One robber was armed, and the second took the victim's wallet, which contained $60 and miscellaneous cards. The suspects fled in the BMW, which was last seen headed east on Augusta Street.

"These aren't isolated. This is part of a pattern," said Roberto Billa, "and so hopefully we find a solution."

Leaders with the Chicago Police Department said teens in stolen cars are in large part responsible for the increase in armed robberies in in the city.

There were also numerous armed robberies around Chicago this past weekend. On Saturday night into Sunday morning, multiple DePaul University students were robbed at gunpoint near campus in Lincoln Park.

Three Loyola University students were also robbed at gunpoint near the Lake Shore Campus in Rogers Park early Sunday morning.

On Sunday evening, five people were robbed within an hour in Lincoln Park, on the Near North Side, and in West Town.  On Monday and Tuesday, robberies occurred in broad daylight in and around Bucktown.  Early Wednesday morning, more robberies still were reported in South Side communities. Several people were held up at a bus stop at 79th Street and Jeffery Boulevard.